Hesitations
by bjont
Summary: A seasoned doubles pair should know each other inside and out. But when a good combination becomes something more, some hesitation is only natural.


So, Xiana Asuka wrote me a lovely Tango Pair called "Inclement Weather." Not only was the title amazing, the story was too.

So here is her Silver Pair in return. Um, the title is not amazing. Titles are the bane of my existence. Hopefully the story is a little better.

* * *

Shishido scowled down at his watch and kicked a pebble over the thick, yellow line and onto the train tracks.

"Shit, Choutarou," he muttered. "Get a fuckin' mobile."

Ootori was exactly twenty nine minutes late. Not that Shishido was counting. And since Ootori didn't have a phone, there had been no reassuring text message nor an explanatory call. Simply the cold, winter night and the distant hum of the city.

The click-clacking of an incoming train made the station sign swing slightly, sending shadows skipping across the concrete platform. Shishido strained his eyes to see the faces in the passing cars. The train whined to a halt and the doors slid open with a long hiss. Men and women poured out of the brightly lit cars, their briefcases swinging.

"Shishido-san!"

Shishido craned his neck to see over the crowd, and couldn't help but grin a little when he saw Ootori waving madly as he made his way out of the train.

"Sorry I'm late," Ootori panted, squeezing between two men holding cups of coffee and giving Shishido an apologetic smile. "My piano teacher was showing me some new sheet music and I lost track of time."

"S'okay," Shishido said, giving Ootori a soft punch on the shoulder. "But I'm freezing my ass off, here, so let's just go already!" He grabbed Ootori's arm and yanked him toward the station exit.

The street was bustling, and Shishido did not let go of Ootori as they weaved their way down the sidewalk. Instead, he kept a firm grip on the other boy's arm, his hand slipping down to encircle Ootori's wrist.

"Where are we going, Shishido-san?" Ootori asked, looking around. They were surrounded by very well-dressed men and women, and Ootori only now noticed that Shishido was wearing a white collared shirt and dark pants. His hat was still stuck firmly on his head, though. Ootori glanced down at his own sweatshirt and jeans and couldn't help but feel terribly underdressed.

"To eat," Shishido grumbled. He paused outside a restaurant that was reputably good - and ridiculously expensive. "Here."

Ootori's eyes grew wide. "_Here?_" he repeated. "But, Shishido-san.. This is.."

"Come on," Shishido said, pulling the door open. "I already made a reservation."

--

The restaurant was dimly lit, but vibrant and lively all the same. Red globes of light hung from the ceiling and every now and then, enthusiastic cheers would rise from the bar, where a baseball game was playing on TV. A young waiter greeted them at the door and showed them to their table, which was nestled in a corner not far from the kitchen.

"I feel so underdressed," Ootori admitted, giving Shishido an embarrassed smile. The older boy rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You look fine."

Ootori blushed and sank into his seat, accepting the menu the waiter offered him with a polite bow of his head. Everything listed was very expensive, but many of the meal descriptions had Ootori's mouth watering.

"Have whatever you like," Shishido said. Ootori looked up and realized Shishido had been watching him salivate over the menu. "I'm paying," Shishido announced.

"Shishido-san, I couldn't let you pay for something like this," Ootori said, furrowing his brows. "It would cost you an arm and a leg!"

"I said I was paying, Choutarou. Just choose already." Shishido glanced down at his own menu. "I'm having, uh.. _Fugu-chiri_."

"Oh, well.. In that case, thank you very much, Shishido-san!" Ootori exclaimed, rising to his feet and bowing low, at the same time earning himself several strange looks from some of the other patrons. Grinning sheepishly, he slid back into his seat.

"So, what are you gonna have?" Shishido asked, giving Ootori an exasperated look.

"The same as you," Ootori replied simply. Shishido shrugged.

"If you say so." He raised a hand to hail the waiter. "We would both like fugu-chiri, please," he said, handing his menu to the waiter. Ootori nodded and handed over his menu as well.

"So, what's with ditching me for piano?" Shishido demanded as soon as the waiter had vanished, leaning forward and raising his eyebrows at Ootori. He had taken his cap off, and his bangs had grown long enough to brush his forehead.

"Ah! About that, I-" Ootori began, but Shishido laughed and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"I'm just kidding, geez. Don't freak out on me, Choutarou!"

"Ah, well.. If you'd like, I'll play a piece for you sometime. As compensation, for being late." Ootori smiled.

Shishido looked rather taken aback.

"Really?"

Ootori nodded.

"That would be cool, Choutarou," Shishido said, sitting back and taking a sip of water. "I want to hear you play."

They continued to make small talk until their food arrived. Despite the fact that they were eating the same meal, Shishido insisted on trying bits of Ootori's fish and blushed furiously when Ootori demanded he be fed pieces in return. They finished their meals slowly, dropping chopstick-fuls to burst into laughter.

"And I can't _believe_ that girl stood up in front of the whole class and said that! I can totally see it, too! 'Oshitari-sama is _not_ gay!'" Shishido choked out between bouts of laughter.

"Well, those girls haven't seen the things Oshitari-san and Mukahi-san do in the locker room," Ootori said, cringing slightly at the thought. Shishido made a face.

"Honestly, they have _no_ shame. But then again..." He paused to tap his chin. "I think I would rather be forced to watch them snog each other's brains out than listen to Atobe drone on about Sanada like he does."

Ootori nodded vigorously. "Are they really dating?" he asked, looking somewhat dubious. "Sanada-san doesn't really seem like Atobe-buchou's, um... Type."

"You mean 'cause he's got a shinai rammed up his ass?" Shishido said, taking a gulp of water.

Ootori grinned. "If Atobe heard you say that..."

"I say it all the time," Shishido said, waving his hand. "Atobe just sniffs and looks self-important. Damn, though, I'd like to see what they _do._ I mean, from the way Atobe talks, it sounds like they're together 24/7, but I'm pretty sure a freakin' fetus would talk more than Sanada does. And I seriously doubt someone like Sanada would want to partake in _other_ activities, if you know what I mean."

Ootori blushed and concentrated on scooping up more of his fish.

"It is difficult to imagine him doing that sort of thing," he admitted.

"Let's follow them one day," Shishido suggested, grinning mischievously. "I'm really curious, now."

"Shishido-san, that would be invading their privacy," Ootori said, frowning slightly. Shishido rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on. It's _Atobe._ He probably has secret little camera systems set up in all of our houses, anyway. He would do that sort of thing."

Ootori looked momentarily worried before sighing and downing the rest of his water.

"I don't know," he said dubiously. "Sanada-san is sort of frightening. If they caught us following them around..."

Shishido nodded in agreement. "I've heard about Sanada's slaps.. I don't think I would want to be on the receiving end! It might be kind of funny, though, don't you think?"

Ootori looked doubtful and reached over with his chopsticks to pluck another piece of fish out of Shishido's bowl.

By the time they finished, it was nearly ten o'clock, and streetlights illuminated only small patches of sidewalk, leaving the bright neon signs of Tokyo to light the boys' way as they wandered back toward the station.

"Thank you for dinner, Shishido-san," Ootori said, grinning down at his partner.

"No problem," Shishido replied, shrugging. Ootori smiled again and turned to stare toward the sky.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't live in the city," he admitted.

"Why?" Shishido asked, frowning.

"I really like the stars, but it's so hard to see them here," Ootori said, sighing.

"The stars?" Shishido repeated. Ootori nodded.

"They're so beautiful, and there is something about them-"

"You like the stars?!" Shishido interrupted. He grabbed Ootori's wrist and tugged him toward the station. "Then follow me!" They rushed toward the station, and somewhere along the way, Shishido's hand slipped into Ootori's, but neither of them seemed to notice, or if they did, neither made a move to pull away. Shishido lead the way, weaving through the many different stations until they came to a stop on a platform Ootori had never seen before. It was quite decrepit, and the large clock indicating when the train would arrive had a thick, black X graffiti-ed onto it, making it impossible to read. Shishido pulled Ootori over to the schedule, keeping their hands firmly clasped together.

"Just a couple minutes," Shishido said, trailing a finger down the schedule and nodding slightly.

"Shishido-san," Ootori said, glancing down at their hands and fighting a blush, "where are we going _now_?"

"You'll see," Shishido said, grinning.

"So many surprises tonight, Shishido-san!" Ootori exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck with the back of his free hand.

"I guess I'm in a good mood," Shishido replied, squeezing Ootori's hand. Ootori looked momentarily surprised, but a huge smile quickly spread across his face and he squeezed back.

An old, rickety train pulled into the station, the screeching of wheelings drowning out Ootori's response. The doors opened with a low whine and an old man staggered off, clutching a brown paper bag. Shishido raised his eyebrows at Ootori and pulled him onto the train. A young woman clutching a small boy's hand sat on the opposite side of the train, but save for them, the car was utterly deserted. Shishido sat down, forcing Ootori to settle in beside him. Their shoulders were touching and Ootori leaned in slightly, to make the contact last.

"Just two stops," Shishido said.

"Okay." Ootori smiled.

At the first stop the young woman and her son hurried off, leaving Shishido and Ootori alone.

Shishido coughed and shifted slightly so that their thighs were touching. Ootori pretended not to notice as he tightened his grip on Shishido's hand.

"Are you supposed to be home at a certain time?" Shishido asked, doing his best to sound nonchalant.

"No," Ootori said, shaking his head. "I told my mom I might spend the night at your house, so not to worry if I didn't come home at all."

Shishido grinned. "That was presumptuous of you," he teased. Ootori blushed.

"I didn't mean to impose!" he insisted.

Shishido rolled his eyes and pulled him to his feet. "You're dumb, Choutarou. I'm just making fun of you!"

"I know that, Shishido-san," Ootori protested, following Shishido out of the train. "I'm just playing along!"

"Sure," Shishido drawled, taking the station steps two at a time and forcing Ootori to scramble after him, clutching his hand tightly.

"Where are we, Shishido-san?" Ootori asked, breathing hard from his tumble up the stairs.

"Somewhere," Shishido said, starting off down the sidewalk. "I told you already, you'll see!"

"I know, but I'm getting impatient!"

Shishido didn't bother answering. He simply continued down the street, weaving his way past shabby apartment buildings. The sidewalk was growing dimmer and dimmer, until the streetlights vanished altogether and only the moon was there to gently illuminate the ground.

"In here," Shishido said, stopping before a dark, old building. He yanked open the front door and stepped through.

"Isn't this trespassing?" Ootori whispered, following Shishido inside.

"Probably," Shishido said, shrugging, "but this building has been abandoned for years. No one is going to find us."

"If you say so."

Shishido lead the way up a long, dark staircase. Every third stair creaked and made Ootori jump and look around furtively.

"Stop looking so guilty, Choutarou," Shishido said, chuckling. He stopped and pushed open a door. The stairwell flooded with soft moonlight. "Look. We're here."

Shishido stepped out onto the roof, with Ootori close behind. Above them, the stars shone brightly in the sky, accompanied by the bright moon. Shishido brushed some leaves away with his foot and motioned for Ootori to sit. Their hands were sticky with sweat and as they settled down on the roof Shishido pulled his hand away and wiped it on his pants. Ootori gave him a strange look and did the same. He kept his hands in his lap as he lay back to observe the stars, but to his surprise, Shishido reached over and grabbed it again.

"Are these stars okay, Choutarou?" Shishido mumbled, reaching up with one hand and clasping the moon in his fist.

"These are perfect, Shishido-san," Ootori replied happily. Shishido turned his head to look at him. Ootori glanced over and realized his senpai was blushing. He grinned. "This was a date, wasn't it, Shishido-san?" he asked, turning and staring hard at a particularly bright star.

"Well, uh.. Do you want it to be?" Shishido asked, sneaking a peek at Ootori out of the corner of his eye.

"I do," Ootori said with a grin, lifting their hands and gazing at them for a moment, before bringing Shishido's hand to his mouth and kissing his knuckles.

"God damn it, Choutarou!" Shishido grumbled, yanking his hand away and wiping it on his shirt. "What the hell was that?"

"A kiss," Ootori said simply, still smiling.

"No it wasn't. It was just _weird._" Shishido sat up and tugged his hat off, tossing it unceremoniously to the floor. Ootori watched with interest and Shishido turned to face him and licked his lips.

"_This,_" Shishido muttered, leaning over Ootori and hovering close to his mouth, "is a kiss." With that, he pushed his lips against Ootori's.

This kiss only lasted for a second or two, because the moment Ootori moved to prop himself up on his elbows Shishido took it as a cue to pull away and furiously avoid Ootori's gaze.

"You're right," Ootori said, staring pointedly at Shishido's face. Shishido's eyes flicked in his direction for a second. "That _was_ a kiss." He laughed. "A much better one than mine, but I suppose that's to be expected of Shishido-san. You are my senpai, after all!"

Shishido grinned and turned to face him.

"I guess you're right. So, uh.." He trailed off, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Are we..?"

Ootori gave him a shy smile and shrugged. "Dating?"

Shishido nodded and lifted his gaze back to the stars.

"I would like to," Ootori said.

"I guess there's nothing wrong with giving it a try," Shishido mumbled, covering his eyes with his forearm. "I mean, if _Atobe_ can do it, then I think we can handle it."

Ootori laughed. "Hopefully."

"And anyway, we're Hyoutei's doubles one."

"That's true," Ootori said, closing his eyes. "I think we can do anything."

"As long as it's us together," Shishido agreed. Ootori hummed softly to show his approval.

There was a long, comfortable silence, during which neither boy felt particularly compelled to say anything. The scent of something cooking wafted over them, and the leaves of a nearby tree rustled soothingly in the night.

"You know, Shishido-san."

"Yeah?"

"Now that we're dating, instead of just _following_ Atobe-buchou and Sanada-san around, we could always go on a double date with them."

The silence that followed this suggestion was nothing like the comfortable peace that had settled over them before. The warm smell of spices had dissipated, and utter silence replaced the cheerful rustling of the leaves, until Shishido let out a sort of wheezing cough.

"Uh, Choutarou, are you fucking serious?"

* * *

Fugu-chiri: Vegetables and fugu are simmered in konbu dashi soup in a large pot. Served with ponzu dipping sauce.

--

Um, yeah. There it is. Silver Pair. But because I'm a horrible person, I threw Tango in there, too. But, um, because I did, there might be a sequel.

The requests for train stations and hand-holdings were fulfilled. I tried to get Anderson Cooper in there. I really did. You know how it was talking about the loud shouting from the bar? Well, I originally had CNN on the TV. But then, it just didn't work out. So the request for Anderson Cooper was not fulfilled. Hopefully the sequel will be able to include him. :)

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
